Each individual's single step. Changing relationships.
Admiration, and a newly forged resolve.
"Ngh… kgh, uuugh…!!"
Inside Chaldea's simulation room, the sound of gnashing teeth, sharp detonations, and heavy explosions echoed continuously through the chamber.
Brandishing her shield and rallying her inner strength was Mash Kyrielight, one of Rikka Fujimaru's central Servants. Desperate to fortify her defensive instincts, she was pushing herself to the absolute limit in a mock battle.
"—Hmm."
Her opponent was none other than the Golden King of Heroes himself, Gilgamesh. Hair slicked down, exposing his upper body without a shred of hesitation, he stood in his primal form—a supreme sovereign and a foundational pillar of Chaldea.
He had taken on the role of her sparring partner at Mash's explicit request. That said, he was a king who gave no thought to holding back or showing carelessness…
—Predicting Mash's next movement pattern: 27 possibilities. Projected positions to handle those movements: 35 routes. High-risk actions that could result in fatal damage if undefended: 9 variations. Catching, sorting, and launching treasures from the Vault seconds ahead of every single prediction… lock-on engaged.
By his side, glowing with crimson eyes, Ea calmly analyzed and relayed tactical assessments, executing treasure launches and target locks simultaneously to test the extreme limits of Mash's defensive capabilities.
He targeted only vital spots. The treasures selected were tailored to yield maximum tactical efficiency. Every projection paved a precise path toward the end of the battle.
Methodically and meticulously, Gilgamesh heightened the sharpness and tracking precision of the Gate of Babylon, expanding his firing patterns while relentlessly testing the young Shielder.
"There—keep your eyes forward!"
Six golden ripples manifested around his outstretched right hand, spinning at high speed to amplify velocity and armor-piercing power before firing.
"Leaving your footing exposed?"
A salvo launched from right beneath her feet like an anti-air battery.
"Do not neglect your spatial awareness!"
Projectiles rained down from every direction in the surrounding area. An terrifying barrage struck Mash from all angles, boasting horrific precision aimed purely at critical points—every treasure loaded specifically to exploit her worst vulnerabilities.
"Ngh, ugh… uuuugh…!!"
Gritting her teeth, Mash desperately clung to her footing beneath the breathless, supreme barrage. Pushed to the absolute brink both physically and mentally, she swung her shield with everything she had.
This mock battle had been Mash's own proposal, so there was no reason to go easy on her. The King of Heroes and Ea were training her in earnest—having forgotten how to hold back a very long time ago.
—Mash's movements are lagging.
Mid-assault, Ea caught onto a subtle anomaly. A tiny irregularity in her movements. Her initial reactions were slightly delayed. Though she corrected her stance here and there, a faint hesitation and a blank lapse lingered between each action. Assuming the King was aiming to kill in earnest, there were easily more than ten instances where she would have lost her life.
"Indeed. I see no physical injuries upon her. If so… is she brooding over something again?"
Ea nodded in agreement at the King's internal thought. Judging by her sweat, expression, and breathing, this wasn't a physical ailment. It was a matter of mindset—a psychological issue.
"Anguish is the true flavor of humanity, a fine delicacy to pair with wine… but breaking a soul that has yet to understand true delight is hardly entertaining."
—Shall we wrap this up?
Ea mentally voiced the thought, and the King gave a faint nod of concurrence, selecting a specific weapon from his supreme vault.
"We are ending the simulation here. You are carrying far too much turmoil."
"Th-That's…"
"—Sweep it away, Ea."
With its output dialled down to the absolute minimum, the wind pressure of the Sword of Ruptures, Ea, slammed directly into Mash. It was a meager, holding-back gust—barely a graze—yet it possessed more than enough force to dispel both the hesitant Mash and the simulated battle environment.
"Gah, aaahhh—!"
Helpless to resist, Mash was blown off her feet, crashing hard against the reinforced plating of the wall. The simulation system shut off, reverting the room to its original, neutral setting.
"Cough, cough… ngh, ugh…!"
Impacted heavily by the wall, Mash crouched on the ground, painfully gasping for air. The fact that she had survived a hit from that pressure with only minor bruises was a testament to her own innate strength.
"Th-Thank you… very much…!"
Gasping for breath, Mash offered her gratitude as the King of Heroes pulled her up to her feet.
"Still unable to fully withstand even a fraction of my wind pressure? That is not a flaw in your absolute defense. The issue lies at its core—in you, the one wielding the shield."
His crimson eyes pierced through everything. He saw right through the turmoil Mash was harboring in an instant.
"—A master of unnecessary worries, as always. You are lost in defining the meaning of your own fight, bewildered by the nature of your own emotions."
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